I’ve met a lot of “big talking” would-be entrepreneurs and I bet you have, too.  They have tons of ideas, they have a million things they’re going to do… and the list never changes.  Year after year. 

The problem isn’t the list.  It’s the fact that these entrepreneurs never do anything.  They never move forward. 

They are Dreamers, but they’re not Doers.

If you fit into this category of entrepreneurs, it’s time to do something, already!

How can you do that?  Try any or all of these steps:

1.  Hire a business coach.  I’m one and I know the value here.  There’s no doubt in my mind that a business coach will help you get moving.

2.  Hold yourself accountable to start getting things accomplished.  Stagnancy begets stagnancy.  You can’t afford to waste more time.  Find a way to remain accountable and begin.

3.  Just do something.  Take a first step.  That’s how it’s all going to begin.  It doesn’t matter how big of a step it is, either.  As long as it’s in a forward direction, it’ll be a huge leap!

4.  Leave the perfectionism behind.  Perfectionism is just a trap that keeps entrepreneurs from doing their best.  Leave it at the doorstep and do something… even if it’s not “perfect”.

5.  Stop talking.  If you’re only an entrepreneur in your mind, that isn’t going to get you anywhere.  Whenever you find yourself pontificating about what you “would” do if you “were” an entrepreneur, stop yourself. 

It’s time to be a Doer, not a Dreamer!

Many people don’t immediately think about hiring a business coach to help them; after all, shouldn’t all business be handled by using one’s “common sense”? 

Well, not really.

Sometimes, “common sense” isn’t so common.  (Those of you who have been in the workforce for more than two seconds know exactly what I mean!)

So how do you know when it’s time to pick up the phone and reach out to a business coach?  Below are 5 indicators that the time is ripe:

1.  Your Business is Booming… but You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

Clearly, you’re doing a lot right, but you need an objective voice to help you prioritize your goals and keep you from burning the candle at both ends (not to mention the center!) 

2.  You Are Starting Your Own Business

Entrepreneurs can always use a helping hand, especially at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journeys.  Business coaches can provide much-needed assistance in practically and efficiently moving forward.

3.  You Have Lost Your Inspiration

Have you “lost that lovin’ feelin’” when it comes to your work?  A business coach can help you rediscover the joys of a fulfilling career!

4.  You’ve Had a Number of Life Stressors in a Short Amount of Time

Gone through a divorce?  Had a child?  Experiencing “empty nest” syndrome?  These are all stressors that can make daily working very, very difficult.  Business coaches who have the hands-on training to deal with situations like yours can direct you to a better place mentally… and professionally.

5.  You’re Not Living Up to Your Potential

Be honest.  Are you really living up to your potential?  Are you using your innate gifts and talents every single day?  If not, you could benefit by the accountability working with a business coach can provide!

If any of the above connected with you, I urge you to contact me at julie(at)jadcc(dot)com.  The initial consultation is FREE (no strings attached).  You have nothing to lose and a whole lifetime of profitability and personal satisfaction to gain!

1. Start using social media.  It’s a fast way to increase your presence on the Internet and — except for your time — it’s free to set up.
2. Hire a business coach.  I know that might sound self-serving, but I’ve used a business coach myself and I know how valuable even a single session can be!
3. Make a monthly sales plan.  If you don’t have anything written down, it’ll be difficult to make your sales goals a reality.  The plan doesn’t have to be complicated, either.  A simple MS Word doc or Excel spreadsheet will do.
4. Make phone calls.  I know — the dreaded “cold call”.  But if you just try 20 per week (4 each business day), you’ll have made 80 calls by the end of the month.  Even if your return rate is 2-4% on those cold calls, you could snag 1-3 more clients by month’s end.
5. Outsource where you can.  It may initially seem counter-intuitive, but if you outsource the items you don’t need to do yourself, you’ll be able to work on other projects that have been “backburnered” too long.
6. Start writing a book.  You won’t be able to finish it in 30 days, but with the help of a ghostwriter, you could be well on your way to having a first draft AND you’ll be able to pre-sell it.
7. Attend networking events.  Brush off your networking skills and get out there at least once a week.  Make it your mission to distribute AND get at least 10 business cards at each event.  Then follow up with those people.  You may just get a customer or two for your efforts!

How many times have you heard the adage: “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? Though it might sound a tad trite, the message is solid and true.

In my line of work, I have the opportunity to meet a lot of people who have goals but no plan. Guess what ends up happening to those goals? They essentially get pushed farther and farther into the future.  Many times, they never materialize, which is a shame.

So what’s the problem? Why don’t more entrepreneurs and business people grab the bull by the horns and just make a plan they can stick to in order to achieve whatever objectives they have in mind?

Quite honestly, the problem is threefold:

1. They don’t know where to start, so they don’t start at all.
2. They don’t realize they need to have a plan. They believe that truly wanting to do something with your heart and soul will make it happen.
3. They don’t really believe they can make their goals a reality.

Let’s look at each of these reasons a little deeper:

The first - not knowing how or where to start a plan - is relatively straightforward and pretty darn simple to remedy. Either the person can create his or her own map for getting from the present to the future or (and I strongly recommend this approach) he or she can get help from a business coach like me.

The second - not knowing a plan is needed - means they haven’t been educated in how and why plans work. Maybe they think that plans are for wimps or people who don’t know anything… who knows? Typically once they come to the realization that a plan is like an insurance policy against the risk that your goals will fail, they are more than happy to get on board with the program.

The third reason is perhaps the hardest because it speaks to a deep lack of self-confidence. These individuals not only need a plan, but they need to believe in themselves again. I’ve helped dozens of people who fall into this category, and once they start to have faith in themselves, they’re usually more than happy to create a plan and then “work it.”

Remember that it’s great to have a dream, but dreams don’t come true by wishing on stars. Take a proactive stance and plan for “luck” to occur.

We all know it — the economy isn’t exactly at its best.  But that’s absolutely no reason to stop marketing.  In fact, it’s probably one of the BEST times for you to strategically market your business!

See, even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, there were businesses that made money.  What was their secret?  For one, they marketed in one form or another and their companies eventually weathered the decade-long storm.  By all economic pointers, our recession is unlikely to reach the magnitude of the Great Depression, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t put their successful marketing principles to work.

Now, I’m in no way suggesting that you break the bank on marketing — far from it!  Instead, I am urging you to sit down with a marketer who knows what she’s doing and develop a marketing plan that’s going to equate to financial profitability and longevity for your business. 

Will all this mean that you have to be creative?  Sure.  Will it mean you have to spend a little?  Yep.  But in the end, what you reap will far outweigh any investments on your part.

Don’t stick your head — or your wallet — in the sand.  Develop a marketing plan today and get your product(s) or service(s) out there right now!

As business owners, we all want money to come flooding through the door.  Alas, that’s just not the reality.  In fact, 99.9% of people (and I have yet to meet the other 0.1%, by the way… I’m just giving the benefit of a doubt) have to work really, really hard to make their cash flow rather than trickle.

A colleague of mine, Scott McPherson, is a virtual CFO and CPA.  He wrote a particularly good article on the subject of cash flow and why it’s important.  You can find his piece here, and you can reprint it on your blog for free (if you include his links and don’t edit it) if you’d like to educate others.

As a business coach, I often counsel my clients in how to be more efficient and organized so that cash flow problems are minimized.  In fact, many clientele tell me they’re shocked by all the little things they could be doing to improve their monthly cash flow. 

If you don’t have a river of cash coming into your wallet, contact me at julie(at)jadcc(dot)com and we’ll set up a time to chat.  Who knows?  It might just take a little tweak in your daily, weekly and monthly habits to realize amazing benefits.

Take one minute and think of all the things you said you were going to do last week but never got around to handling. 

The obvious question is:  Why didn’t those items get accomplished?

My guess is that you’ll probably have one of three answers:

• - I didn’t have time.
• - I didn’t remember to do it.
• - I don’t have an excuse.

Those are all perfectly-understandable and honest responses, of course.  But they all lead back to one place — accountability.  (Or, more specifically, a lack thereof.)

Chances are good that the reason you’re not getting around to finishing tasks is because you don’t have to.  No one is pressuring you, so the feeling of immediacy and importance just isn’t there.  As a result, some of your “to do” tasks keep getting pushed farther and farther down your list.

It’s time to change the way you’ve been approaching your duties.  Otherwise, you’ll just keep missing opportunity after opportunity. 

You can do this by instituting some method(s) of accountability into the way you approach your work.

Below are 5 effective ways to ensure that your work gets done on time, every time.

1.  Start using automatic “alerts” on your computer.  Most calendar programs can be set up to send you reminders.  These might seem “nagging”, but they’ll keep you on track.

2.  Send yourself emails as reminders.  Want to make sure you remember to do something the next day?  Send yourself an email and don’t delete that email until the task is on its way to being finished.

3.  Work with a business coach.  For short-term and long-term goals, a business coach can provide you with the accountability you need to keep you focused and on track.

4.    Set up regular meetings with a colleague, peer or mentor.  Pick a day of the week or month to sit down with someone and chat about your “to do” list.  Instruct him or her to be your “accountability accountant”.

5.  Put into place a system of rewards.  There’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself now and then for staying the course.  Love Starbucks?  Only allow yourself to order that latte if the previous day’s work was completed.

Your turn — do you have any ways that you hold yourself accountable?

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So you want to make sure that 2010 is better than 2009 was in terms of your business?  Then you have to start thinking about making some corporate resolutions for 2010. 

These types of resolutions differ from personal resolutions in that they are narrowly focused toward the business world.  Still, the resolutions (business and personal) do share some similarities, most notably that:

• The resolutions have to be measurable.
• The resolutions have to be manageable.
• The resolutions have to be logical.

Let’s take each of these points one at a time…

Measurability

I don’t know of any entrepreneur who wouldn’t agree that he or she wants to make a bigger profit in 2010 than he or she did in 2009.  However, that really isn’t a solidly measurable goal. 

Instead of making a sweeping statement, put a number to your resolution.  By doing so, it will be highly specific.  For example, you could say that you want to increase your business profits by 20%, $20,000, etc.  That way, you can map out strategies to make your resolution a reality.  (I’d be remiss if I didn’t add here that this is where a business coach can be a huge help!)

Manageability

It’s great to say that you want to spend more time on the road visiting your prospects and clients in 2010, but you have to make sure that whatever you say you’re going to do is manageable. 

For instance, if everything else stays the same in your company, can you really manage to be on the road more often?  And if you can’t, are you willing and able to outsource responsibilities to ensure that balls don’t drop?  (If the answer is “no”, you probably can figure out that this is one resolution that cannot be implemented.)

Logic

Maybe you’ve always wanted to move your business to a warmer climate.  (Hey, anyone who has been stopped from fulfilling a client’s order because of a foot of snow can commissurate!) 

But what if your family and clients are all in a cooler locale and want you to be there, too?  Obviously, it’s not going to be logical for you to have “Move the company to a warmer climate” as a business resolution, at least until you are able to convince your relatives and customers that such a move will benefit them, too. 

Does this mean that if your resolutions are measurable, manageable and logical that they will come true?  Unfortunately, no.  You have to be willing to work hard to make changes.  However, you’ll have a much better chance at seeing your resolutions come to fruition (at least partially) if they have these three characteristics. 

So… what are your business resolutions for 2010?  I’d love to hear the direction you intend to take over the next twelve months.

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Join my Marketing Made Easy for Small Businesses Program and add marketing savvy to your resolutions for 2010! 

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Fear can be a great motivator, but it shouldn’t be your business plan (at least not if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur!)  Unfortunately, I’m seeing a lot of reactionary moves on the part of business men and women, many of which are directly related to some kind of fear.

Interestingly, though, many of these same entrepreneurs don’t realize that they are operating in this kind of mode.  They simply chalk up their actions to “going with the times” or “reacting to the market”.  But what they’re really doing is allowing their fear to become the CEO of their company.

How do you know if you’re steering your ship with fear?  Take a look at these common fear-based scenarios:

- Every plan you’re making is to avoid something — losing money, losing employees, losing your job, losing a client — rather than to gain something.

- Every time something happens that plays on your fears (e.g., a client withdraws from your service, an industry report reveals your field is in trouble), you feel like you have to make a sudden change in how you’re approaching your business.  Sometimes, these changes can be seen as radical.

- You find yourself thinking only in the short-term rather than the long-term.  What happens today is more important to you than what will happen six months or a year from now.

- You’ve begun to pinch pennies in inappropriate areas, such as by getting rid of all advertising or marketing (instead of being selective with it.)

Do any of the above experiences resonate with you?  If so, you may be allowing fear to lead your business.

Fortunately, there are ways to get out of the fear cycle.  And the first step is acknowledging that fear has begun to take over. 

The next steps are best met and implemented on an individualized basis.  If you have a business coach, now would be the time to have a very serious talk about “righting” your ship.  (If you don’t have a business coach, send me an email at julie(at)jadcc(dot)com and let’s chat.)

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Fear taken control of you?  Join my Marketing Made Easy for Small Businesses Program and make sure every move you make in 2010 is for the RIGHT reasons! 

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There’s actually a huge plus side to the uncertainty of the American job market — more and more individuals are deciding to become entrepreneurs.  They’re fed up with waiting around and feel inclined to “take the bull by the horns”, so to speak.  It’s exciting to watch!

However, as a business coach, I strongly recommend that you do NOT become an entrepreneur for any of the following 8 reasons:

1. You want to “get money quickly.”  As any entrepreneur will tell you, that isn’t the way it works.  In fact, you can expect to spend more than you make for a while.
2. You want to stop getting dressed up in corporate attire everyday.  It’s enticing to think about working on your laptop while lounging in your pajamas, but if that’s the only reason you want to become an entrepreneur, you’re in for a rude awakening.
3. You just want something to do.  I can understand how difficult being out-of-work can be.  However, being an entrepreneur is a mindset, not an answer to boredom.
4. You need money to pay the bills.  Are your bills piling up as your bank account is going down?  Before you decide that entrepreneurship is the answer to your problems, it might be wiser to take a part-time job.  You can work on your entrepreneurial enterprise on the side, but you’ll be guaranteed a paycheck in the meantime.
5. Someone told you that you should become an entrepreneur.  Just because someone else told you that you’d make a great business owner doesn’t mean that it’s what you should do.  If you don’t feel drawn to entrepreneurship naturally, it may be rough.
6. You want to make sure you don’t have any long time period “lags” on your resume.  Again, it’s understandable to not want gaps in your career background, but if that’s the case, taking another job (even one outside your field, such as a clerk in a retail store) is probably a better solution.
7. You like to be in charge most (if not all) of the time.  While this is an attribute that’s an asset to many entrepreneurs, it’s not a reason to become an entrepreneur.  Striking out on your own often includes having to deal with others, and if you’re unwilling to adopt a give-and-take mentality, you’ll have trouble getting a business off the ground.
8. You’ve heard being an entrepreneur is the “easy” way to success.  Hm.  I’d like to know where you heard that, because most entrepreneurs will tell you that it’s never “easy”.  Rewarding (for the right people), yes.  But not “easy”. 

So we’ve looked at the top 8 reasons NOT to become an entrepreneur… but what are the top 8 reasons TO become an entrepreneur? 

Check back next time and they’ll be revealed!